“I’m Coming To The Cottage”

STORY RENEE ALKASS | PHOTOGRAPHY ADRIAN OZIMEK

As seen in the Muskoka Spring 2026 issue.

Everyone is talking about Heated Rivalry – the new Canadian romance series about two professional hockey players. The six-episode series, produced by Bell Media’s Crave, chronicles the relationship between characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. In the season finale, titled The Cottage, the characters retreat to Shane’s remote lake house in Quebec. It turns out the actual cottage is located on Lake Muskoka.

Designed by Trevor McIvor Architect Inc., a local architectural firm specializing in sustainable, contextual home designs, the 2,500 square foot Barlochan Cottage is a masterpiece of its kind. The dwelling is constructed from prefabricated Douglas fir timber and exhibits an organic shape anchored by the Canadian Shield.

The design has caught the eye of spectators worldwide. OUR HOMES asked Alisha Bishop, a senior associate at TMA, for the details behind this now iconic property.

What is the history of Barlochan Cottage?

“Barlochan Cottage began with an exceptional client. Together, we collaborated to create a vision of a cottage rooted in the rugged beauty of Muskoka. We began working on the project about 10 years ago, and our client has been enjoying the finished space for the last six years. Trevor McIvor Architect Inc. designed the cottage, and our sister company, TREA Building Systems Inc., a construction management firm, built the structure.”

“The site’s topography is defined by rolling swaths of Canadian Shield, natural forest and a long view of the lake from the end of a quiet bay. The design is driven by its connection to nature while maintaining privacy within.”

Are there any significant architectural elements that define the property?

“The levels of the building are dictated by the topography of the Canadian Shield and notch perfectly between the contours. The floor-to-ceiling glazing is strategically designed to frame views, while the construction maintains a tight, high-performance building envelope. We utilized passive strategies of solar orientation and thermal mass and designed overhangs to keep solar heat out in summer and allow solar gain in winter. The material palette mirrors the landscape with reflections of stone and wood.”

How did the Heated Rivalry producers find the cottage?

“We have been in contact with producers looking for unique homes in the past. They reached out to us again while on the hunt for HR’s perfect contemporary cottage location. When they first told us about the show and the cottage they were looking for, we were under the impression that it would be just a small Canadian film. We had no idea the global phenomenon it was about to become.

In an interview with Dezeen, an online architecture design magazine, the producers spoke about their choice of the Barlochan Cottage for the project. They felt that our design stood apart from most contemporary cottage designs, rejecting the sameness seen throughout much of contemporary architecture.”

How have the words “I’m coming to the cottage” from episode five of Heated Rivalry impacted the Trevor McIvor Architect firm?

“We used the phrase to launch an Instagram post before the final episode to cultivate some excitement around announcing ourselves as the architecture firm behind the work. It has been an overwhelmingly positive response that has brought us an increase in project inquiries from clients interested in a space for themselves that provides a similar experience to what’s portrayed in the story.”

We’ve heard you are adding to the lakeside property. Tell us about the plans for expansion.

“This year, we’re building The Boathouse, a companion building to Barlochan Cottage. It will extend the architectural language used throughout the cottage while responding to the shoreline and the function of a boathouse. Like the cottage, the boathouse is designed to blend into its surroundings rather than serve as a focal point.”

Do you know… will Shane and Ilya return to the cottage in season two?

“We’re just an architecture firm. As much as we wish, there is no HR inside scoop to be had here!”